Leonid as g



(No Model.)

L. G. WOOLLEY. LIGHTNING DIFFUSER.

No. 293.612. Patented Feb. 12, 1884.

IWITNEEEIEEH UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

LEONIDAS tnlVOOLLEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

LIGHTNING-DEFFUSER.

EIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,612, dated February 12, 1884.

Application filed December 1-2, 1883. No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LEONIDAS G. WooLLnv, of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Diffusers; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in lightning-diffusers; and it consists, first, in an electrical conductor placed in a vertical position and having points at both its upper and lower ends; second, in an adjustable support by which such conductors may be convenient ly applied and put into position regardless of the various angles and shape of a roof.

The object of my invention is to provide buildings and various kind of structures with protection against a stroke of lightning.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building having its four roof-corners provided with my diffusers. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my Fig.

improved adjustable support complete. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the parts composing my adjustable support.

It is well known that all pointed bodies of conducting material, when suspended or sup ported in mid-air in a vertical position between an electrified cloud and the earth in such a manner that their points or free ends are not in electrical contact with anything, have their ends positively and negatively charged with electricity, while their middle or central portions will be neutral. The pair of poles thus evoked are received by induc tion inthe same manner as though the vertical conductor were insulated from the building and earth. Furthermore, the longer such conductors and the farther away from all objects their extreme ends are,the more distinctly and clearly defined are their positive and negative poles, and in this respect acting like a short U shaped permanent magnet whose attractive force is very weak when compared with that of a magnet having long limbs. As points are capable of receiving and discharging a much greater quantity of atmospheric electricity than bodies of any other shape, I provide my tive, or the cloud to earth. ature pointed conductor above referred to forth a brush-shaped blaze accompanied by a hissing sound, which will continue while the diffusion or equalization of the unbalanced electrical tension is in progress.

My invention is not only designed to protect the building from a lightning-stroke, but

to prevent the stroke itself by affording a medium through which. its elements can become quietly united and then diffused into the air. In substantiation of this fact I will state that I have an electrical machine which is capable of producing a seveninch spark accompanied with a sharp report equal to that of a gun. I find that a piece of small wire one-half inch in length and no larger than ahuman hair will, when pointed at both ends and placed between or near the dischargingpoints, en-

. tirely and silently diffuse or neutralize all the electricity this machine is capable of generating. The two poles of the electrical machine represent the electrified cloud and earth, the electric spark passing from positive to nega- N ow, if the minibe placed at right angles to the path of the dischargebetween the two poles, it will be seen and heard to receive a succession of strokes, which will continue while the machine is being charged, thus clearly proving beyond a doubt the cfficiency of vertically-placed pointed bodies to diffuse atmospheric electricity. I will further state that when the miniature pointed conductor above mentioned has either one or both of its points removed or covered by any metallic body presenting a spherical or enlarged surface, its utility as a diffuser of atmospheric electricity is entirely destroyed in exactly the same manner as when the lower end of a vertical conductor is buried in or otherwise connected with the ground. The inefficiency of the old -of considerable resistance.

I am aware that horizontal insulated con-.

ductors, having both upward and downward turned points, have been in use, and are de scribed in patents issued to J. O. Ohambers, for insulated crestings, February 10, 1880, No. 224,504, also for mode of protecting oil-tanks from lightning or fire, November 9, 1880, No. 234,173. I disclaim all such devices and arrangements. All electrical conductors, when placed in a horizontal position, are not only neutral and useless as regards their influence or effect upon charged clouds, but offer apath Thus, when upward or downward turned conductors are united together by horizontal portions their efficiency as lightning diffusers or conductors is partially destroyed from useless resistance. As lightning is always downward or upward in its course, a great resistance is offered in following horizontal conductors.

The utility of my invention is still further increased by providing buildings with a number or system of such vertical pointed conductors, as shown in Fig. 1. The rods being entirely separate, and acting independently of each other, the electric force is partially neutralized or diminished by being divided and distributed throughout the system in such a manner that none of the points will receive an overcharge. As I have already stated, the longer a vertical conductor is, and the farther away from all objects are its points, the more clearly defined are its positive and negative poles, and its efficiency proportionately increased. Therefore I arrange such conductors so that their lower portions will extend down along the side or end of the building, while their upper-end will project above the highest portion of the roof. A rod of considerable length may be used without necessitating the projection of extremely long portions above the building, which are liable to be bent or blown down by high winds.

It will be understood that my lightning-diffuser may be varied from that of an exact vertical to an angle or inclined position without materially afiecting its efficiency or the spirit of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, 6 represents a single piece of iron, which is made fiat at both ends, as shown, one end presenting a fiat surface at right angle to that of the opposite end. (Z has a groove, K, along its front edge, into which the pointed vertical rod A is firmly held by means of the rings J and set-screws M. d has a flat lug extending outward from its center, and which has a hole through near its outer end. The base or bottom piece, 0, which is secured to the roof, cornice, or side of the building by means of the screws S, has an upward-extending fiat lug or portion, and which has a hole through near its upper end. By means of the bolts 71/ the flat surfaces of the lugs or extensions forming a part of the pieces 0, d, and e are drawn together. It will be seen that two joints admitting of a movement at right angles to each other are thus formed. The base or bottom support, 0, is secured to the roof or any desirable place, regardless of the angle or incline to where it is to be placed. Now, the combination of the two joints described will admit of the grooved piece (I being moved and adjusted to a vertical position, and in this po sition hold the pointed conductor A. After the desired adjustment is made, the parts 0 e (Z are tightly drawn together by means of the bolts h, the whole forming a firm and rigid support. Although I consider the adjustable support above described the most efficient and simple in construction, any well-known de vice-such as the ball-and-socket joint-may be used for the purpose of effecting an adjustment of my lightning-diffuser relative to the base orportion of the support which is secured to the building. Therefore I do not confine this portion of my invention to any particular form of an adjustable support for the purpose above specified.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A neutralizer or diffuser of atmospheric electricity, consisting of an electrical conduct or placed in a vertical position, and provided with one or more points at its upper and lower ends, the lower end of said neutralizer or diffuser terminating-above the ground, substantially as shown and described.

2. Two or more electrical conductorsv arranged in a vertical position, and having their upper and lower ends provided with points, said conductors being attached to different parts of a building, and having no metallic connection with each other or with the ground, substantially as set forth.

3. An electrical conductor arranged in a vertical position, and having its upper and lower ends provided with points, the upper end of said conductor terminating above the roof or top of a building, and the lower end terminating below said roof or top of a building and above the ground, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A vertical conductor having points at both its upper and lower ends, in combination with an adjustable support, constructed as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONIDAS G. IVOOLLEY.

lVitncsses:

H. FULTON, W. S. BERGUNDTHAL.

ICC 

